A reporter visits an evacuation drill at the Smithsonian, an exercise by the Heritage Emergency and Response Training program (HEART). Said one participant afterward, “I would do 200 things differently.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
‘Why Not Now?’ – Four Veteran Dancers On Working Into Their 70s
Gia Kourlas talks with Gus Solomons Jr. (79), Douglas Dunn (75), Eiko Otake (65), and Brenda Bufalino (80) about the losses and gains to their art as they age and their motivation to keep going. As Solomons says, “The reason I’ve been able to dance for so long is absolute willpower.” (includes video)
Artsy’s 20 Most Influential Artists Of 2017
The list includes four bona fide celebrities (Yayoi Kusama, Ai Weiwei, David Hockney, and Damien Hirst), several stars within the art world (e.g., Carolee Schneeman, Cindy Sherman, Pope.L), and one veteran artist who’s finally getting the recognition she deserves, 2017 Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid.
Unknown Painting By Artemisia Gentileschi Discovered
The 11-square-inch canvas, a portrait of the artist as Saint Catherine, sold at auction in Paris on Tuesday for €2.36 million.
Sydney Opera House’s Opera Theatre Reopens After $71M Worth Of Barely Visible Work
Well, it’s barely visible to the average audience member in her seat at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, but the backstage machinery has been replaced and greatly upgraded, the orchestra pit has been enlarged and enhanced, and acoustics have been improved. Angus McPherson goes backstage for a look.
U.S. Holocaust Museum Reissues (With Changes) Study On Syria It Withdrew Under Pressure
“The study, … on Syria’s civil war and American options to mitigate it …, had been the subject of controversy this fall after the museum briefly published it online and then retracted it in the face of a political backlash. Some groups had balked at the conclusions, which expressed pessimism about American options. Then, after the retraction, academics accused the institution of allowing political pressure to suppress important research.”
Annette Page, Star Of Britain’s Royal Ballet, Dead At 84
“A dark-haired beauty with a pure classical technique, … [she] was one of a golden generation of ballerinas who made the Royal Ballet into a global phenomenon in the mid-20th century.”
How American Ballet Companies Keep Reinventing ‘Nutcracker’
“From the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band’s Dance-Along Nutcracker to the New Bedford Ballet’s historical whaling production, A New England Nutcracker” – not to mention a hip-hop version and a “MeshugaNutcracker” for Chanukah – “the message of ‘anyone can watch’ is echoed throughout performances that interpret Tchaikovsky’s score in new – and distinctly American – ways.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 12.19.17
A Room in India at Park Avenue Armory: A theater titan stumbles? Or fights back?
Those who like theater that’s epic, brainy and political couldn’t have had a more irresistible ticket than A Room in India – no matter how expensive it was. Théâtre du Soleil, the Paris-based crucible headed by director Ariane Mnouchkine, … read more
AJBlog: Condemned to Music Published 2017-12-19
What’s Robbie Fairchild Doing Post-City Ballet? Becoming A Monster
The 30-year-old dance star talks to Sylviane Gold about his latest project, playing the Monster in a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.